Nonfiction November: Reads Like Fiction

I've always enjoyed non-fiction, but the older I get, the more I seem to be gravitating more toward this genre. I still love a good novel, but there are so many interesting and amazing subjects to read about - and so many non-fiction books read like fiction that the choices seem endless.

This week's Non-Fiction November post is being hosted by Rennie at What's NonFiction? and focuses on non-fiction that reads like fiction. 

Check out some of my favorite non-fiction books that I've enjoyed over the past few years and then head over to What's Nonfiction? and check out the other posts that feature great non-fiction books that read like fiction.

Honestly,  I could have picked lots more fantastic non-fiction to share.  I didn't use any titles from my 2018 reading since I'll be using the in my Best of 2018 list I'll share later next month. The books I've selected are titles that have stuck with me over the past several years: ones I've thought of long after I've turned the last page.

I will read non-fiction books about almost anything, but there are some topics I seem to gravitate toward:

Mostly, I've avoided sharing memoirs and biographies, although I like them a lot. Pat Summit's Sum It Up is the one exception to that, and I find her to be a remarkable person.

There are a few titles I'd label "self help" - something I like reading about and then attempting to apply to my own life:  Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin is one of my most frequently recommended books and I've re-read it myself a few times.  Grit by Angela Duckworth certainly speaks to work ethic and perseverance. I've shared bits and pieces of this one many times as well.

History is another topic I enjoy. Radium Girls and The Train to Crystal City are two of the many fantastic history books I've read and loved.

The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got that Way by Amanda Ripley is a book about education around the world. As a teacher, I love books on this topic and I can't help recommending this one to nearly everyone. The Overachievers is also education/parenting related, and so interesting as I have a couple of high school students myself.

And then there are the books that fit into a variety of other categories: social issues, perhaps.....Just Mercy (another book I recommend to just about everyone), Janesville (set in neighboring Wisconsin, I feel for the community affected by the shut-down of the auto plant in their town), The Fire Line about the deadly fire in Arizona that killed an entire team of firefighters (I love disaster books), Full Body Burden, Being Mortal (thought provoking), American Way of Eating (food books are another go-to), Army Wives, and The Year of Living Danishly (armchair travel? yes, please)....the number of non-fiction books I've read and loved and want to share just continues to grow.

I'm so excited to see what books other readers have loved and are sharing this week.  I can't wait for my TBR to continue to grow!